For a moment there I thought I was on a Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Codec Call; 1:19 on the official trailer almost threw me into a different tangent even.

The Kojima-like ponderings of a world left behind at its intro notwithstanding, this is Guard Duty. On one hand there’s part-time drunk and three-quarters dwarf Tondbert, Guard to the Castle of Wrinklewood in a foregone era that sees a certain Princess Theremin kidnapped by a hooded stranger.

On the other we have snazzy 2074 Neo-London and Agent Starborn, Lieutenant General of a resistance group concerned with freeing the planet from the clutches of an iron fist. Said fist admittedly belongs to a man of immortality, and how this ties into the historic case of a missing Princess is for you to discover.

In classic LucasArts/Sierra fashion. Possibly with a few allusions to The Terminator, or maybe that’s just me going on a tangent again. Anyway while describing Guard Duty’s narrative of dual epochs as not for the faint of heart, Sick Chicken Studios admits to Wrinklewood being the perfect retreat for those seeking the quiet, fulfilling mode of life.

The world’s open, features giant Wrinkleworms and has been crafted with some appropriate pixel wizardry. In its eagerness to retain its old-school aesthetic however there seems to be no compromises in the game design department – inventories and logical puzzles are said to be intuitive, while a quest-tracking system keeps you on your toes.

Particularly handy when you’ll be jumping back and forth in time. I also find whatever little I’ve heard of the voice acting and its soundtrack to be of thorough quality, all in all making for a neat point n’ click adventure of British humor and Hollywood-like ambitions.

Guard Duty has been listed as Coming Soon to Steam, although a release this year is still very likely despite pending a few finishing touches. Either way, some of its 300+ Kickstarter backers will attain access to Act One preceding release and hey – notice how the game seems to have been polished quite a bit since 2017?

A lot can change in 4 years, you've just got to practice, persevere and follow your dreams…Top screenshot was from 2004, bottom one is how that scene looks now.